(March 16, 2009) – Cell phones are getting cheaper and cheaper. Now a company called Boost is offering unlimited calling, texting, and internet for only $50 a month. Phones range from about $30 to almost $300. In my zip code, Target, Walmart, Radio Shack and a number of independent phone stores offer the product. Take [...]
Tightwad Assignment
Jax Beach Journal articles on surviving the Great Recession of 2008
Tightwad Assignment – Another way to search for a job
(March 15, 2009) – Most folks search the Internet job sites, the state job sites, and the sites of large companies, but there may be a lot of other jobs available. These are niche jobs that are advertised only on the web sites of small companies. How do you find those? Simple. Go to Linkup.com. [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Sell your junk
(March 12, 2009) – Don’t want to go to the hassle of eBay, craigslist or some other site? Here’s another way to sell your junk. Gazelle.com connects buyers and sellers – you, you don’t want to buy any more stuff. Go to the site and enter your item. Gazelle will show you an offer, plus [...]
Tightwad Assignment – What should you be paid?
(March 10, 2009) – What are you worth? What should you be paid? Before the Internet, comparing jobs was difficult. Now it’s easy. Go first to Salary.com for a quick look at salaries in your zip code. You plug in a job title and get a bell curve chart for that occupation. You can also [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Visit the library the tightwad way – free
(March 9, 2009) – When I was in high school, I had to wrangle a ride all the way to town to do research at the public library. In college, I had to hike across campus to visit the school library. As an adult, I had to drive all the way to a public library [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Laid off camps
(March 8, 2009 – One trouble with unemployment in the Internet age is isolation. You apply online and end up sitting all day behind a computer. A fellow in California, Chris Hitchins, decided to do something about the problem. He founded Laid Off Camp – a meet up, if you will, of folks who are [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Tips from a yard sale queen
(March 7, 2009) – I have a friend who considers herself a professional yard sale shopper. She passed on these tips to me. Go through the newspaper and craigslist, then map out where the sales will be. You’ll cut down on driving expenses and save time. Wear good shoes, not flip-flops. Carry a beverage in [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Live healthier
(March 6, 2009) – This one is simple. If you smoke, stop. Both federal and state governments pile taxes on tobacco products and make them extremely expensive. The recently passed SCHIPS bill, for instance, greatly raises the taxes on inexpensive cigars. If you drink alcohol, cut back on how much you drink. Again, it’s an [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Get free money from your employer
(March 5, 2009) – Even in these tight times, with the stock market dropping, continue to take advantage of your 401-k plan. Some folks will see this as a buying opportunity and will buy stocks. Other folks want to preserve capital and will turn to bonds. I can’t advise you on which approach, or if [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Pay cash for your car
(March 3, 2009) – You’ll also save a lot of money if you pay cash for your car. How can you do that? By taking small steps. First save up enough money to buy a beater for cash. Say you can find a car for $1500, and you get the money by saving $150 a [...]